Netflix’s new hit series The Diplomat sees Kate Wyler, a new US ambassador to the UK, defuse international crises, build strategic alliances, and get used to her new life in the spotlight.
Meanwhile, her marriage to fellow career diplomat Hal Wyler begins to struggle under the mounting pressure.
The streaming giant has already confirmed that it will be renewing the show for a second season. The vice president of drama series at Netflix, Jinny Howe, revealed: “Fans around the world are loving every minute of The Diplomat’s gripping and propulsive drama, and embracing Keri Russell’s powerful performance as Kate Wyler. After that jaw-dropping cliffhanger, we can’t wait for them to see what the amazing visionary team of Debora Cahn, Janice Williams and Keri Russell have in store for Season 2."
The eight-part series gives viewers a taste of what a diplomat’s life must be like. However, the US Embassy in London has clarified on social media what the show got right and what it got wrong.
The embassy’s spokesperson Aaron Snipe started by revealing that Anne Armstrong was, in fact, the first female US ambassador to the UK, just like the series suggests. The current US ambassador to the UK, Jane Hartley is the second woman to ever serve as an American ambassador in London.
Secondly, Snipe explained that, while on the show the diplomat’s home is located in Wrotham Park, in real life the ambassador is based in Winfield House. He also jokingly clarified that the diplomats “don’t take rides from the Met police”.
When Kate and Hal Wyler enter their new home on the show, the house manager explains the history of the ambassador’s residence. It turns out, everything she says on the show is correct and Barbara Hutton actually did sell her home to the US government after the Second World War for just a dollar.
On the show, behind the ambassador’s desk is a portrait of Winston Churchill. Snipe said that this was factually accurate, too.
